'Party Skills for the End of The World: Lockdown Special' Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The other week, I managed to get a ticket for a reimagined version of Manchester International Theatre's immersive show. Tickets were free but numbers were limited due to the limitations of Zoom video call software. I was intrigued by how an immersive/participatory concept would translate to streaming from home.

There were two performances each with an audience of 150 people. The hosts (performers and theatre-makers Nigel Barrett and Louise Mari) welcomed us with drinks and party hats, trying to create an informal and celebratory atmosphere. 

The show, which was performed in a warehouse venue for MIF in 2017, strikes a strange balance between a convivial gathering (virtually due to social distancing restrictions), and undercurrents of apocalyptic nihilism. These opposing elements could have been more interweaved, to make a less disjointed viewing experience - drinking shots together one minute, then listening to the cast talk about basic survival facts like which will plants will poison you. This being said, of the live virtual theatre I have watched since our British version of 'lockdown' began, it is by far the most visually interesting and cleverly crafted experience. 

Through the Looking Glass

My main comparison is to Secret Cinema's movie nights Secret Sofa, where actors and audience interact on Zoom in characters and dress inspired by the chosen cinematic world. I tuned in to Moulin Rouge and was left on mute and slightly bemused watching audience members dance (enthusiasm level seemingly related to their alcohol intake) whilst actors dressed as Bohemians and the Green Fairy encouraged us to love and be free. 

The revolutionary and social mood was slightly hampered by everyone being stuck at home and separate, and there was not much substance to the performance beyond short monologues and a few participants given the spotlight for a remote talent show, although the theme is obviously anarchic by nature and it was nevertheless enjoyable. The guest performers were hours into proceedings, and I'm afraid to say I did not last long enough to see many of the variety acts which sounded promising.

I previously reviewed a two-hander play performed on Zoom, using virtual backgrounds and speaker view.

Theatre meets webinar

What were the party skills we learned to prepare for the end times? Like many immersive shows, the audience had differing experiences. Obviously, if you have 150 people unmuted, actual interaction is impossible. We were randomly chosen and sent to breakout rooms with about 8 participants, the same group experiencing the different skill rooms each time which allowed for some familiarity to develop.

The host encouraged us to unmute ourselves on entering the rooms, then instructed us in their activity. Annoyingly, until you switch to gallery view from speaker view which is Zoom's default, this resulted in trying to watch the host show us how to make paper flowers whilst the screen kept switching to whichever audience member laughed or commented loudly.

I particularly enjoyed the fight instructor coaching us through some basic punches and stances. This seemed genuinely useful for a survival scenario. The other skill was an actress showing us how to trim our own hair, which certainly is helpful for many in lockdown, but was irrelevant to me as I have already been doing DIY haircuts and it was geared towards long hair. 

Coming together - virtually

Once I tried to contribute to the chat and was overridden by a louder participant. Zoom software favours the loudest and as someone with naturally shy tendencies, I preferred the main room to the breakout rooms, not enjoying the unnatural experience of observing yourself in a virtual social situation!

However, in the main space the visual potential of Zoom was taken beyond the inbuilt limitations of the software by Mesmer who managed the broadcast.  As you will see from my snapshots, they played with a hybrid of speaker and gallery view, so the performers were prominent but many audience feeds were always visible.

After a dark nihilist monologue about fear and chaos, followed by a segment that seemed to consist of some tipsy women in their kitchen, the performance culminated in a musical performance from an electronic dance duo AK/DK. As the screen scrolled through the people watching and dancing in their houses, and the music thrummed intensely, I finally had the sense of a communal experience and forgot my misgivings.

I felt a connection to the others experiencing this strange assembly in a digital space. There was a sense of revelry and loss of inhibition as I saw the audience enjoying themselves and reacting to the music, forgetting to be self-conscious in our patchwork of windows. In the brave new world of live-streamed theatre, this was a transcendent moment.

Live Performance versus Live Streaming

Does the stage translate to a screen?

There are many types of drama and performing arts we are happy to enjoy on the small screen, as beyond the staple TV series, comedies and soaps/sitcoms consider how the nation loves to watch music and dance - especially in the form of talent shows like Strictly, The Greatest Dancer, The X Factor or Britain's Got Talent. For years there have been attempts to sell consumers their favourite plays and musicals on demand when they are adapted into movies or filmed on stage.

The National Theatre has been live-streaming their productions to a wider audience for over 10 years, in an initiative that brought the publicly funded shows to your local cinema. I have always considered this a democratising move, as many cannot overcome the barriers of expense and distance to experience London theatre. Now during the coronavirus lockdown period, NT are streaming their recorded shows into our living rooms, in fact, virtual theatre is suddenly available from many organisations. For the latest available shows visit these sites:

Online Theatre Streaming - Culture Whisper

Free Online Shows - What's On Stage

Naturally, after venues were abruptly closed following the government action on the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK, artists and creatives started looking for digital ways to work and share their performances with their audiences. I admire their persistence and ingenuity. The question of when theatres will be permitted to reopen, and when audience confidence will return, is at present nothing but conjecture and uncertainty. In the meantime, the industry is faced with a collective question of how best to serve their community and distribute art when gatherings are a health risk.

I have watched a couple of these conventionally filmed offerings, and enjoyed the chance to catch popular shows I had missed whilst snacking on the sofa. The drinks are cheaper, there is no queue for the bathroom, and if watching with a housemate you are free to trade reactions and snarky comments without judgement. 

Yet I miss hearing the reactions of others, discussing the show in the bar afterwards, and having to leave behind all the distractions of the outside world. Despite knowing many of the tricks of the trade, I am still capable of being moved to tears or joy by a standout production.

A night at the virtual theatre

Recently I was part of an audience of 150+ watching a two-hander play, performed live and entirely on Zoom, the ubiquitous video call software. I did this on my sofa whilst eating sausage and mash for dinner! It was an existing fringe show, 'Ken' by Terry Johnson who performs the work as a monologue, along with many interjections by actor Jeremy Stockwell who plays the titular director Ken Campbell and himself. 

Screenshot of the Zoom call from Terry's Facebook page.

The set up was interesting; obviously some performers use Facebook Live or Youtube for their digital shows, but this was viewed through Zoom switching to whoever was making noise (so larger casts or overlapping dialogue would be difficult). Terry had changing virtual backgrounds to fit the setting, such as an empty pub or neglected old theatre, though these were static and unpeopled it was a nice touch.

In general it worked well, while the audience watched but was required to turn off their audio and camera feeds so as not to disrupt the play. At one point Terry lost his feed of Jeremy and the unseen virtual Stage Manager had to take over and reboot, whilst Jeremy riffed in character as Ken for at least 10 minutes. Because of professional curiosity, I find show stops interesting despite sympathising with their stressful nature, and they did well to recover from this technological failure; similar to technical faults that derail IRL performances. 

Jeremy paced throughout and performed actions as directed such as talking on a banana to signify a phone. The design, props and lighting were absent, but the dialogue could still be spoken. It felt informal, intimate and slightly haphazard. We unmuted ourselves to applaud at the end, the only moment when it particularly felt like a communal experience. Watching from our separate dwellings but bound together in our attention, choosing to 'be' here.

We are social creatures, and I don't truly believe virtual interactions can replace in-person contact and shared experiences beyond these exceptional circumstances. But they can bring us together briefly at a time when we are forced to remain isolated.